AH! i am getting soo frustrated. My scale is always so inaccurate compared to the jenny craig scale, but i always feel like i need to weigh myself. i usually weigh myself right before jenny craig so i have an idea so im not shocked, sometimes my scale is a pound over, sometimes its a pound under, somtimes its more then a pound off. But i feel like i NEED to weigh myself. and when i have been weighing myself all week the numbers are just not adding up to what ive been doing. I know i shouldnt be TOO worried because if its not accurate then thats probably not my weight, but still. i just feel like im killing myself for almost no weight loss. this is why i didnt stick to diets in the past because i felt that if i wasnt going to lose wegiht, i would rather eat and not lose weight, then miss all the foods i love, and not lose weight. i know i need to stick with it and i know it will come off. but im just so frustrated. ive lost 22 pounds so far its been 7 1/2 weeks. i just feel like being 20 years old and doing as much as i do, i should be able to lose more weight. i really wanted to lose a total of 30 pounds before i went on vacation to Florida... and its not looking like something im going to be able to achieve.

This is why I really think that shows like The Biggest Loser don't actually help the average dieter. It sounds like you're setting yourself up for failure with unrealistic expectations. My average weight loss at the moment is around 1.75 lbs a week. However, that average has allowed me to lose 124 pounds since Dec-08/07.

I actually think that your current weight loss is probably a little fast. You're likely depriving yourself far too much, and this might lead to a regain of weight. You need to find a balance of eating a few things you enjoy, but just less of them. You won't feel as deprived, although your weight loss may slow... but, you'll have more of a chance to maintain (and increase) the weight lost.

You kind of sound like I did 20 years ago. I would start some kind of diet, not feel like I'd lost enough fast enough... and then give up, ending up heavier than I started. I lost 20lbs and gained 30lbs for a long time before I discovered that it's only the road to obesity. Since you're young (and tall... sigh) you still have time to break the cycle. Find a better way of eating that you can maintain, and avoid the on/off cycle that plagued so many of us.

Good luck, and have fun in Florida. And even though you don't necessarily have to be on your diet while you're there, try not to use it as an excuse to eat and drink to excess. Have lots of active fun, and stick to lean meats, whole grains, fruits and veggies as much as you can. (ie. stay away from the fast food joints and/or desserts)

i agree. I love that show too, maybe thats the problem. im usually very happy when i lose 3 pounds, but last week i only lost 1.8. and im at exactly 200. i want to be under 200 like more then life here... im scared ill get on the scale this week and still be at 200. i know im losing a good amount in a good pace. i just feel like i have forever to go, and if i were losing more, its less time until i can finally have that long awaited shopping trip of small clothes. if that makes sense.

3 pounds a week isn't even healthy unless you are obese. What's the hurry? How fast did you put it on? Put the scale in the trash. The scale is the least accurate measure of success. The permanent lifestyle changes you make will be what determines if you keep the weight off once you reach goal.

__________________
Susan

HW 356 pounds - CW 135 - GW 137

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.

It's frustrating you because you are letting it frustrate you -- because you are letting it rule how you feel about what you are doing. Throw it out. I'm a JC'er, too. Let the weekly weigh-ins at the center be the only weighing you do and you'll be a lot happier. Even then, don't pay too much attention to it. The people who get all wrapped up in the scale, and let that number drive their attitude about the process, are the ones who give up really quickly. I agree that shows like Biggest Loser are a real detriment because of the emphasis on that number -- that is NOT the way to approach life-long weight loss and maintenance.

I'll tell you something -- I'd been derailed by that problem so many times in the past that when I started JC I got on the scale backwards every week and didn't even look at my weight! I knew that if I did all the right things, the weight would come off, and that I needed to concentrate on ME, not my weight. I needed to work on the thought process and habits that made me overweight in the first place, and devote all my energy to that rather than worrying about the ups and downs of the scale. The truth is that you never lose as much as you want or think you ought to, or that you think you need to "stay motivated." On the rare occasions where that number is better than you hoped, it just sets you up to expect the same thing next week. And, the scale is GOING to fluctuate. You are NOT going to lose the same amt every week like clockwork, it just doesn't happen that way. I had no idea how much weight I'd lost until 6 months had passed when I finally decided to get on and look at the numbers. If you notice, I don't have a ticker or my weight info in my signature because I don't want to give those numbers power they shouldn't have.

I know its frustraiting, trust me i want to be 199 so bad. ive done really good for 2 weeks and my scale hasnt budge, but I also started exercising more. But I also measure myself, Ive lost 1 inch in my stomache in 2 Weeks so I know somthing is working. Try measuring as well as weighing and always weigh the same time everyday. Im a weighaholic as well so I Know the feeling. Just keep doing well and you will do great.

I weigh in at the doctor every two weeks. I am not supposed to weigh myself in between, but I just can't resist. I keep on telling myself that I won't weigh myself again. My scale shows down the one day and up the next! I am losing cm's, so, as you say, something is working. Try rather to weigh yourself maybe once a week, or even every third day, and keep on measuring to let yourself know it's working.

I know its tough, but really, don't worry so much what the scale says. Like others have already said, find another measure in addition to or instead of the scale. I weigh myself once a week and that's it. But my real measure comes from how I feel physically and how much I have progressed in my exercise goals. That is what really matters, how you physically feel, not what a scale says. Stay focused and don't let an instrument frustrate you.

Using weight as a measure of progress can be a source of frustration because the feedback the scale gives does not directly relate to recent behavior (time delay, weight vs body fat, fluctuations, bad scales etc). So for that reason, a number of folks (rightly) suggest ways to stop obsessing about the scale number. You need to use the scale as a tool -- take any given weigh-in with a boulder of salt but keep track of the trend to make sure you are headed in the right direction.

In addition, I am concerned about setting numeric goals with time frames. Yes, it can be very motivational to have an event in mind (like Florida, or some other vacation, a wedding or a reunion). But it can be tempting to go overboard and restrict calories too much or feel like a failure if good healthy habits don't reach the numeric target you had in mind. Like the scale, you need to use these event goals as a tool that works for you, not against you.

What's more important, losing an extra five pounds now or establishing life-long healthy habits? There will be vacations after this trip to Florida.

You should feel like a winner for the progress you've made. Maybe the number you had in mind would have been nice but the number you reached is awsome! And what is more awesome is getting into the right habits for a lifestyle you can sustain in the future.

Have fun in Florida and feel great about how much you've accomplished!

If you live with someone or have a friend nearby, you could have them hide your home scale or take it away for a month. I found that when I decided to not use my scale for awhile and pay attention more to the fit of clothing and visual changes (with the goal of losing fat and gaining muscle), it was quite freeing. I lost weight so I could improve my health, but there were times when I've let the number of the scale rule how I felt about myself, rather than focusing on how I felt, how far I could run, how many flights of stairs I could climb without losing my breath, etc.